There was a time when I was very afraid of flying. I would begin worrying weeks before my trip and feel extremely anxious. What if the plane should crash? Surely all on board will die. I don’t want to die!

I also went through a period in my life when I was preoccupied with getting cancer. I worried about the awful suffering, and possibly even death, that would ensue. At one point I noticed a red, itchy lump on my skin and thought it was “the big C.” I made a doctor’s appointment to have it evaluated, and in the days leading up to the appointment I worried terribly. Awful thoughts filled my mind—please, no, anything but cancer! As you probably have already guessed, it ended up being nothing serious, and all my worrying was for naught.

Later in life, after I adopted the philosophy that I am on this earth but for the grace of God, many of my fears have either greatly lessened or disappeared altogether.

I realized that God has a plan for me, and He alone will decide when my time here is up. If God decides it’s my time to go, who am I to second guess?

If God were to choose for me to be one of the people who must experience a life-threatening illness, for instance, then so be it. I’m certainly not saying I would choose it, but I would accept it and bear it as bravely as possible. My reasoning is that apparently He must believe I need a challenge or trial such as this to grow and become a better person, and again, who am I to question His judgement in this regard?

I have extended this philosophy to include believing that God cradles me in His arms throughout my life, helping me through difficult times. He cares for me so much! As an example, whereas I used to be very fearful and anxious about giving a presentation, now I am much calmer. Who cares what anyone else thinks about me? All that really matters is what He thinks, and He loves me unconditionally.

I am not saying that any one attitude about life will eliminate all of your fears and worries. But going through life with the philosophy that your existence is entirely a result of God’s grace and love might help you weather challenges with a greater sense of calm and peacefulness.

TIM MCINTYRE retired in 2004 from his position as president of Applied Systems after facilitating a successful sale of the company. At only forty-six years old, he made the unusual decision to fully retire to pursue other interests and simply enjoy free time. As a hard-driving Type A personality, this turned out to be a significant challenge for the Notre Dame and University of Chicago-educated MBA, CPA, and Certified Cash Manager.

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